Dubai’s Circuit Factory gym says Holocaust was a good thing

“KISS your calories goodbye,” says the adverts for Phil Parkinson’s Circuit Factory gym in Al Quoz, Dubai. Parkinson runs the Circuit Factory’s Facebook group which featured a black-and-white photo of the rail tracks leading to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp and the legend: “KISS YOUR CALORIES GOODBYE.”

Parkinson reacts to the messages of shock and horror and issues an apology, of sorts:

“I apologise if I have offended anyone with the campaign. That was certainly not my intention when we created it. You put strong ideas across, and if they’ve been poorly received then I apologise.”

The “if” is the great caveat. Of course it is offensive. In Dubai and much of the Middle East the default position is that the Holocaust never happened (although they also believe: what a good idea if it had have) and Adolf Hitler is a writer Richard Branson’s Virgin stores recommend as a great Christmas read.

Says Parkinson, who just knows his market:

“The idea of the campaign isn’t to upset anybody. The way branding works is … you want people talking about your business. We want them talking about us, but we don’t want people to take offence at it.”

“A huge number people have researched or Googled… our YouTube channel has shot up, our [Facebook] group page has got an hundred extra members in minutes and we have had about five times as many enquiries as before,” he said. “It has got to the point I am nervous that I can’t cater for demand.”